Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-27
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
Electricity Proposed as Substitute
for Hanging as Punishment
for Murderers,
The Certain and Instantaneous Work of
EIectricity-Somo of the Methods
Suggested.
Philadelphia News.

Recent fatal accidents to Iinemen both
in this city and in New York, caused by
men coming IN contact with heavily
charged electric light wires, have revived
interest in the idea of displacing the
gallows by electricity as g means OF
capital punishment.
Bills have been framed by anti-hangine
societies in several states, and will
be presented to the various state Legls-
latures, providing for the employment OF
electricity instead of the moose in eXecu.
tiOns. The advantages of the method OYel
the present mode of iuficting the death
penalty is so apparent that it is probable
that the bills will meet with approval
in some of the states at an early day.
Numerous methods, or rather many
ways of applying the same method, have
been suggested, but only three have met
with general approval among the pro.
moters of the movement. The only GUS
ton considered is which would be the
surest and quickest means of causing
death. Said q very prominent electrician
who is interested in the movement yes
terdaY:
"Many things would nave to be Consid-
cred before g method OF killing by cleo
tricity could be applied. There is no
doubt about the power, nor is there any
question but that it could be use so as to
cause death instantly and without pain.
What would kill one person might have
bat little effect upon others, however.
After determining the necessary force to
execute, the exact manner of apply
! ing is not of so much Importance as is the
/ portion of the body upon which the
charge would be delivered. Should an
/ electric bolt be applied to the back of the
neck so as TO strike the spinal column, 8
much smaller charge would be required
to kill than probably in auy other portion
Of the body.
81 am not, nor is any one, able to give
the exSct strength OF q battery TO cause
death. 1t is generally thought that $50
volts would not Kill In maj 0rity of cases,
while It is known that 1000 volts would
produce death almost regardless Of how
1t was applied. The electric light wires
on Chestnut street are charged with 5000
volts, SO you can readily see how danger
Gus IL would be for person to touch an
exposed portion of the wire without any
thing like a connection between himself
and the ground
the Hayes-GaTrisOn method, that Of
applying the charge to the back Of the
neck, is considered by electricians
to be the surest and SWiftCst,
and at the same time requiring
the least force. A Dand fits close around
the head, with one pole pressing hard
against the spinal column at the back OF
the neck The condemned man stands
upon a zinc plate insulated from the floor.
To the plate the other pole OF the battery
is connected. The instant the current is
thrown on from the dynamo machine
death eIsues,
The most humane or merCiful method
is that proposed by JaOlakof, the ia
nous Russian electrician. He suggests
& large armchair, with copper arms con
nected with wires. Wires also run to
the metal plate upon which the chair
stands, and upon which the feet of the
condemned man are placed. Behind the
chair is powerful cell. The doomed
man is seated in the chair with his hands
resting on the copper plates, his arms
being firmly held 10 the arms
OF the chair 0y straps. AS very
little except the chair is seen by
the victim, and as there Is an entire
absence of anything indicating to him the
approaching dissolution, this method has
less terrOrs than any other. Indeed, ia
blakof claims that, if desirable, the exc
CutiOn could take place without the con-
demned having knowledge that his life |
was about to end a wave Of the hand Of /
the eXecuLioner, the touching OF q button, /.
or, as has been suggested, the tipping Of
the scales of justice, closes the circuit /
and all Is over.
Somewhat similar to the Hayes Carl ,
son method is that of Mendsz While IL |
has all the terrors of the former, it re-
quires, the electricians claim, q greater
force. The doomed man stands upon f.
g glass plate perfectly insulated from the !
floor. Around his head is q band of rub I.
Der, with the two poles Of the battery /
pressing close against the temples. All
ready, the signal is given, the dynamo in
an adjoining room, or q mile away, if
throws its force upon the wires
attached to the mans head, and, without
pain, life is extinct.
"In the instance OF the man who was
killed in this city short time ago while
repairing ar electric light wire" said the
electrician quoted above. che was actually
cooked to death. He might as well be hit
in the head with club, so lar as ease in
dissolution was concerned. The charge
was strong enough under either of the
of JackIakof, Hayes-Gsrrison
Or Mendez to kill dozen men perhaps,
while it was barely sufficient to kill one
man under the sad conditions made pub
lie at the inquest"
Another interesting instrument sBg-
gested as a means OF punishmept ~sSs.
the electric cat -nine-tails inventM bYY;
Henry Paget, of Lyons, France. 9ghe
person TO be whipped is strapped u &
steel triangle connected with one polS4t +
The other pole connects witA&J
whip composed of steel wires goYeFsS
With sponge The whip is dinped yin4
Tater, and when the stroke is edI5fntster- I
ID to the bare back electric dt5c Nges
ne made. Mr.. Peget claims that MS Ia
'eAffOn should be adopted in eYeT9.is
,iVAized country to be used ia the punish's
neat of wife heaters. 81.
yftHe who is false to present duty, "says
Henry Ward Beecher, 7gsessore4kE, g thread
n the loom, and will fiifde s. 9iaw when
le may hgpe fp9gotten its c&sts&." a case
D poingoccurs JUS Mr ~, Ryder Of
q, JeA rson 1stg@et, Buffata Y, re-